God Eater 3 Review (switch)
God Eater 3 Review
This might be the nicest surprise for me on Switch in 2019. I had never heard about the series until I saw the demo on the eShop. I dug the aesthetic and they kept using the word “hunt”, which for a guy who likes Monster Hunter, you can color me intrigued. I booted up the demo and was greeted with a faster and more “anime” styled Monster Hunter. The demo got me hyped, so when the actual game came out, I couldn’t stop playing. I bought God Eater 3 for its gameplay but I ended up enjoying the story and voice acting more than I thought I would. It’s one of the most complete packages on the platform.
Despite the numeral, God Eater 3 figures you have not played the previous and acquaints you with its universe early on. No need to play the other games or watch the anime or anything like that. The third game is based in post-apocalyptic Europe, where a disaster called the AshLands has made it impossible to breathe or live outside. The ash has also created giant monsters called Aragami, because of course it has. All of humanity lives in Ports, fending for the last scraps of the world. People who have been experimented on to become immune to the outside, are called Ages or God Eaters, and have the distinct ability to control giant weapons called God Arts. I chose the giant scythe ‘cause it looked sick and had ridiculous reach. What really drives the story is that the God Eaters are oppressed because they are seen as too valuable by all the different Ports that are enslaved. Your custom character and squad must rise up and defeat the system to obtain freedom.
The squad you are with, “The Hounds”, is a major contrast from the Monster Hunter formula. During the single player story, you can control and level up your squad members. Not only are they a fun little RPG element added to the hunt, they are well-rounded characters that you get to know along your way. It’s not a groundbreaking story, but it is exciting, and kept me on the edge of my seat enough, that I felt like I needed to go forward to find out more about the world. What hit me hardest was the relationship between your character and Phym. I don’t know what would have happened if I was a male character, but because I was a female, I got to play the role of a mom. I’m gonna say it, we need more games where I can play as a mom. You know what, it was a great change of pace from all the male heavy stories I get all the time in video games. I connected with the story more than I thought I would and their interactions were so cute. Story takes a backseat to characterization, so know that going in.
At the end of the day, it’s all about the gameplay, baby. Right off the bat, you have a lot of options for character creation and then choose your playstyle between 8 different God Arcs. The God Arcs vary in play-style but they all transform into four different guns and three different shields. You can experiment and find what you like. I basically recreated Ruby Rose from RWBY, and I got it looking seriously close, including her scythe, which as I said before, was sick.
There is a reason I recommend this to everyone as an “anime” Monster Hunter. The story ticks those boxes and the art style is far more Japanese then any of mainline MH games but the missions are basically the same, just faster paced. It doesn’t take a whole hour for a single mission, instead most can be done in 5-10 minutes. This format definitely plays to the Switch’s portable strengths, if you have a moment, you can quickly get a God Eater 3 mission done. So basically you have a bite-sized and anime-esque like experience which is very well executed.
I feel bad repeating it so many times, but comparing this to Monster Hunter is the best compliment I can give it. Both are such a rewarding game loops. Kill giant beasts and then make equipment from them. It is so satisfying. and God Eater 3 basically takes that concept and streamlines it. If you’re a fan of the aesthetic, the sub-genre, or a captivating story, get your hands on it.
Galaxy of Geek Breakdown:
Rating: 8.5 Out of 10
Time Played: 45 Hours
Cost: Usually $60 (my 20% Best Buy Gamer Club discount)
Spent Most Of The Game: Being a dope ass Mom